The rearranged L-myc fusion gene (RLF) encodes a Zn-15 related zinc finger protein.

ABSTRACT

We have previously characterized intrachromosomal rearrangements at 1p32 fusing the first exon of the RLF gene with L-myc. Here we present the full-length cDNA sequence of the 6251 bp RLF mRNA. The predicted 1914 amino acid Rlf protein contains sixteen widely spaced zinc finger motifs, and is related to the Zn-15 transcription factor. RLF is widely expressed in fetal and adult tissues, suggesting that it has a general role in transcriptional regulation. The zinc fingers are not contained in the 79 amino acid N-terminal region of RLF involved in the RLF-L-myc fusions, and the transforming ability of the RLF-L-myc and the normal L-myc proteins is indistinguishable. These findings suggest that the role of the rearrangements fusing RLF and L-myc is to deregulate the tightly controlled expression of the L-myc gene.